Not a Cinderella, Not A Knight
by Jayla728
Summary: Part of my series involving the infamous Jayla Curtis! What happens when she starts getting a bit too interested for everyone's liking in boys and dances? Read and review! I love you guys! Thanks to the fabulous Pinksugarrush for helping me with the title!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! I know I haven't updated in a while, but it's because I've been working on this! This goes into my Curtis Little Sister series, which doesn't have an official name yet. I don't own The Outsiders, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, or Elvis. In this story, Jayla is fourteen, Ponyboy is fifteen, Sodapop is seventeen, etc., etc. You do the math. Please review and let me know what you think! I love you guys! 3**

It was a peaceful Thursday evening in January. I was sitting at home with Sodapop, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit waiting for Darry to get home so we could finally eat supper. I was absolutely starved, and Sodapop's spaghetti and meatballs (colored blue and orange, of course) looked absolutely mouth-watering. It was my favorite meal, and everyone anxiously awaited Darry's return. Ponyboy and I shared the recliner, reading, while Two-Bit and Sodapop sat on the couch watching TV.

Two-Bit groaned dramatically and rubbed his stomach. "Oh, man, if Superman doesn't get here soon I'm going to starve to death right here."

Sodapop shot him a glare. "No, you won't. He should be on his way home, and besides, he's had a long day at work."

Before Two-Bit could deliver a clever retort, the door opened, and Darry walked in.

"Hey, guys," he greeted us tiredly. "What's for dinner?"

Two-Bit jumped up, a grin on his face, and made a beeline for the kitchen. Soda frowned at him as he went, then turned back to Darry.

"Well, I did make spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, but knowing Two-Bit there might not be any left." He replied dryly. Darry laughed and set down his keys. I eyed Soda hopefully.

"Does that mean we can eat now?" I asked him, my stomach growling. He smiled at me and nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief and raced Ponyboy to the kitchen. He won.

When everyone had gotten plates and returned to the living room, me and Ponyboy sitting on the floor so Darry could have his chair, Darry turned on the news. The room was quiet for a few minutes, save for the crunch of garlic toast and the clink of forks on the plates. Finally, Darry broke the silence.

"So, how was everyone's day?" He directed it mainly at me, Ponyboy, and Sodapop, since Two-Bit was still stuffing food into his mouth.

"Well," I began, swallowing a bite of meatball. "I got an A- on my History test. Mrs. Lorell said I would have got a perfect 100, but I mixed up the dates for the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address."

Darry nodded. "Keep studying hard. Ponyboy, how about you?"

"I turned in my science project today," Ponyboy replied. "I got a 98."

Darry smiled at him and turned to Sodapop, waiting expectantly. Sodapop grinned.

"My day was same as ever. Got hit on by some pretty girls, fixed a few cars, made a few tips." He smoothed his hair back confidently. That's my brother for you. Always confident, and always being complimented on his "movie star looks".

We continued eating. When everyone was through, Ponyboy and I did the dishes (lucky us) while Soda gave Darry a backrub and Two-Bit drank beer in front of the TV. Pony washed the dishes and rinsed them and I dried them and put them away. It's my absolute least-favorite chore, so I did my part in a hurry. When we returned to the living room, Darry was about to fall asleep with Soda massaging his back. I sat down on the arm of his chair.

"Darry, can I go to Angela's tomorrow morning?" I asked. There was no school the next day due to some teachers training program. We got a three-day weekend, so it would be the perfect chance to spend some time with my best friend. I knew it was best to just get to the point and not beat around the bush when it came to asking permission. Darry looked at me sternly.

"Did you finish all your homework for the weekend?" He asked me. I knew he was going to say that. We went through this almost every weekend. I would ask permission to go out, Darry would ask me if my homework was done, I would say yes and give it to him to check, he would point out mistakes, I would correct them, and he would reluctantly let me go out if he approved of my plans. Repeat cycle next weekend.

"Yeah, I finished it when I got home from school today," I assured him. "Do you want to check it?"

"Bring it here." He told me, like I knew he would. I went and retrieved my Algebra worksheet. I brought it back and put it in his outstretched hand. He examined it.

"Question number 11 is wrong. You didn't combine like terms."

I sighed. Since I first started my freshman year in high school, math had become increasingly difficult. It was no longer plotting coordinates on planes and long division, it was solving radicals and simplifying quadratic equations. I had to work harder than ever to keep my grades up to Darry's approval.

I furrowed my eyebrows as he handed me my paper. Seeing my distress, Darry patted me on the shoulder. "Why don't you ask your brother to help you?" He suggested, gesturing towards Ponyboy. Pony looked at me and I handed him the paper.

"Hmm..." He mused, looking over the problem. "Okay, this is a lot simpler than it looks." He handed me a pencil and proceeded to show me how to simplify the equation. When we were done, I thanked Ponyboy and handed it to Darry, who nodded in approval.

"Much better," he said, handing it back to me. "And yes, you can go to Angela's tomorrow. I'll drive you over."

I grinned and thanked him before taking the worksheet back to my room and placing it in my folder. I much anticipated the upcoming day. Angela was my best friend, and I knew that it was impossible to be bored when you're with her. She would definitely add excitement to my weekend.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. We all watched television until around nine, when Two-Bit left. Then, the four of us decided to turn in early and we all went to bed. I slept soundly through the night, and was ready the next morning when Darry said he was ready to drive me to Angela's.

"Jayla, let's go!" Darry shouted from the living room. I was in my bedroom putting on my sneakers. I quickly tied the laces and rushed into the living room, where Darry was waiting by the front door. After a quick "goodbye" to Ponyboy and Sodapop, we got in Darry's truck and left.

I buckled my seatbelt and Darry drove down the road. He turned up the radio and we jammed to The Rolling Stones until he finally stopped in front of the Shepard house.

"Stay out of trouble." He told me as I unbuckled. I smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Since when do I 'get in trouble'?"

"Remember that time you and Angela were playing in an alley over in Soc territory?"

"We were nine years old! Besides, Tim was with us."

"Tim Shepard isn't exactly a suitable babysitter. And what about the time she dared you to climb on top of the old farmhouse roof?"

I recalled the memory. We had been ten when it happened, and I vaguely remembered being yelled at afterwards.

"I didn't get hurt." I replied.

"We had to call the fire department! None of us could convince you to come down, not even Sodapop!"

"That was four years ago! Besides, I'm much better at climbing now. I'm kidding!" I added briskly when I saw the look on my brother's face.

"Just be careful, will you? Don't look for trouble. One of us will pick you up at twelve. We're going out to eat for lunch."

"I'll be good, I promise," I assured him. "Thanks for the ride."

With that, I got out of the car and he drove away, waving. Shaking my head at my brother's caution, I walked through the front yard, dodging old, rusted-out cans and garbage as I went. I stepped up to the door and knocked.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a shirtless Tim Shepard with a beer bottle in his hand. He fixed me with a stern look and I recoiled. Angela's oldest brother had always scared me slightly, mainly because of the stories I've heard from Dally.

"What do ya want, kid?" He asked, taking a swig of alcohol.

"Is Angela home?" I asked in a small voice. He was intimidating, and all of my confidence seemed to wash away as he stared at me with dark, piercing eyes. He sighed and yelled behind him, still facing me.

"ANGELA! THE CURTIS GIRL IS HERE!" He shouted loudly. I bit my lip and took a couple steps back. He continued to study me as I stood on the porch. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Is Dallas going to Buck's tonight?"

I shrugged nervously. He took another drink of his beer.

"Well, tell him he'd better be ready for a fight after what he did to my car last night. Scratched it up with a chain."

I nodded. That sounded exactly like something Dally would do, just to tick someone off. We stood there awkwardly waiting for Angela, him standing just inside the door watching me closely and me standing on the porch trying to avoid eye contact. It was cold, and I tugged on the zipper of my jacket. Finally, Angela came bounding through the door, pushing him out of the way. "Watch it!" He said angrily as she almost knocked the bottle out of his hand. She ignored him and turned to me, a big grin on her face.

"Hey, Jayla." She greeted calmly. My smile returned.

"Hey, Angie!"

She gestured towards her brother. "Didn't he invite you inside?"

Tim rolled his eyes and went back in the house without a word. I shook my head and Angie made a face

"Don't worry about him," She told me. "He's just in a bad mood because Winston scratched the paint on his car last night. Really, though, you can come in."

Without waiting for me to answer, she grabbed my hand and went back inside, pulling me behind her. The hallway smelled like stale cigarrette smoke and I could hear her parents yelling at each other in the back of the house. That kind of thing was normal with the Shepard family. If the parents weren't arguing, her mom was usually drinking and her dad was usually nowhere to be found. I knew it had to bother Angela and her brothers, but they were pretty good at hiding it. Angela pulled me into her bedroom and shut the door behind us.

"So," she said as she walked over to her mirror and began running a brush through her curly, dark hair. "What do you want to do?"

"I dunno," I replied, sitting on her bed. "What are our options?"

"Well, we could walk down to the playground and hang out there."

"No, it's too cold outside."

"We could get Tim to drive us to the movies."

"No, thanks." I replied quickly. I really didn't want to have to face him again.

Angela gave a frustrated sigh. "Well, I don't know then. There really ain't much we can do, to be honest."

She glanced in her mirror again. Suddenly, she grinned and turned back to me, her eyes sparkling. "I know what we could do!" She exclaimed.

"What?"

"I'm going to give you a makeover!"

My mouth dropped open. Was she nuts? Of all people, she wants to put girly stuff on ME?

"No way," I responded firmly. "You are NOT putting a bunch of makeup on my face."

"It's not just makeup," she argued. "I'll do your hair and nails, too."

"All the more reason not to do it."

C'mon, Jayla, please?" She pleaded. "This will be the best opportunity to practice on someone other than myself."

I groaned. She had a point. It's not like she had a sister. It had to be exasperating to actually be into stuff like makeup and jewelry when all you had was your brothers, your neglective father, and your alcoholic mother. At least I was more interested in reading and playing football with the guys, rather than want to primp myself all the time.

"Fine," I said reluctantly. "You can give me a makeover. Just don't be too extreme, okay?"

She grinned and grabbed a bunch of stuff off her dresser to pile on the bed. "Don't worry," she said as she uncapped something that looked like a pencil with no eraser. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll be gorgeous!"

"Yeah, that's kind of what I'm afraid of."

She frowned at me. "You've got to start acting more like a girl if you ever want to be asked out by a boy."

"I act like a girl!" I replied indignantly.

"Playing football and reading books all the time isn't what most would view as 'acting like a girl'."

"Well, I like doing those things."

She shook her head and put a hand on my shoulder sympathetically. "You've got a lot to learn. Good thing you've got me."

With that, she began applying the stuff to my face, explaining each step as she went along. After she put on powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara (which made my eyes water), blush, and lip gloss, she moved on to my nails.

"What color do you want your nails to be?" She asked as she put on clear polish. I shrugged.

"I kind of like the clear stuff you're using now." I said hopefully. Maybe I could convince her to refrain from making my fingernails a bright pink or purple like I knew she wanted to. She glared at me.

"Don't try to trick me into leaving your nails alone," She said, visibly annoyed. "Trust me, you'll thank me when this is all over. Let's try gold, it'll bring out the color in your eyes."

I grudgingly let her put a bright shade of golden yellow on my nails that apparently made my brown irises "pop". She clipped my nails and filed them, then admired her work.

"Yep, I definitely did a good job with these," she said. She glanced up at my head. "Hmm, I don't know what to do with your hair since it's so short. But I'll definitely try to tame it."

She studied me for a moment, then got up and rummaged through her dresser drawers. She returned with a comb and a can of hairspray. She sat down on the bed again.

"I think I could tease your hair so that it will stand up a little. You definitely want a little bit of volume so it doesn't look so thin." She told me. I didn't respond immediately, even though there were many things swarming through my mind that I wanted to say right then.

"Go ahead and fix it." I told her instead with a sigh. She grabbed the comb and picked up a section of my bangs, pulling it away from my head. She began vigorously running the comb from the tips of my hair to my scalp and back again, causing me to wince.

"Ow! Angie, that hurts!"

"Just hang on," She said as she continued doing it with the rest of my bangs. I bit my lip as she tugged at my hair. Finally, she put the comb down. I reached up and gingerly rubbed my head where she had seemingly tried to scalp me.

"Don't touch it!" She instructed as she shook the can of hairspray. "I've still got to put hairspray in it so it'll stay like that."

I dropped my hand back to the bed. She sprayed my hair, causing thick clouds of hairspray to float around my face. I coughed and squeezed my eyes shut. When the hiss of the can stopped, I opened them again.

"There!" She said proudly as she took everything back over to her dresser. "You look great!"

"Does this mean you're done torturing me?" I grumbled as I stood up and joined her at the mirror. She just laughed and showed me my reflection.

For a moment, I was speechless. I didn't recognize the face looking back at me. Angela had actually made me look feminine. To be honest, it didn't look as bad as I expected. One could even go so far as to say I looked "pretty".

"Well, what do you think?" She asked impatiently. I looked at her, my eyes wide.

"Dude, I actually look like a girl." I proclaimed. She grinned.

"I know! Don't you love it?"

"It's... It's different," I said truthfully, my eyes moving back to the mirror. It WAS different. This was the first time I'd ever seen myself all fixed up like this, save for the pictures Darry had hanging up in the house of me as a toddler in dresses.

"But you like it, right?"

I looked at her. "Yeah. I actually do."

She gave me the biggest smile I'd seen on her all day. I smiled back. It felt good to make her happy like that, even if it meant stretching the truth a bit. I didn't really mind my change in appearance as much as I thought I would, but it wasn't going to become routine for me to wear makeup and nail polish all the time. Still, if it made Angela happy I would say I loved it wholeheartedly.

"I'm so glad you love it!" She gushed. "Do you want to walk around town and show everything off?"

I glanced at the clock on her wall. It was already eleven-thirty. "I can't," I told her, secretly relieved. "The guys are picking me up at twelve."

Her face fell, but then she livened up again. "Well, we still have time to hang out a little," She said. "Let's go into the kitchen and get something to drink."

I agreed, and we left the room. The yelling had died down, and a silence lingered. We tiptoed past her parents' bedroom door so we wouldn't disturb her mother, who was undoubtedly sleeping off a hangover. When we entered the kitchen, we found Tim raiding the fridge. He turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of us.

"Good god, Angela, what did you do to her?" He asked. He began laughing. Angela put her hands on her hips and gave him a glare.

"Shut it, Tim." She said fiercly. He toned it down a little.

"My sister really did a number on you, Curtis," he said to me. "You look a lot less like your brothers now, that's for sure."

He grabbed another beer bottle from the fridge and exited the kitchen, still chuckling to himself. Angela rolled her eyes again and went over to the open refrigerator. "You want a 7-Up or a Coke?" She asked me.

"Coke." I replied. She tossed me the cold drink before grabbing one for herself. We went out into the hallway and made our way out the front door so we could sit on the porch. I sat on a lawn chair and she perched herself on the railing. We sat, sipping our drinks and gossiping. Before long, the door opened and Curly Shepard came out.

Curly was Angela's other brother. He was friends with Ponyboy and about a year older than him. He was three years younger than Tim, two years older than Angie, and looked just like his older brother. He definitely wasn't as scary as Tim, although I've heard a few tales about him from Ponyboy.

Curly saw us sitting on the porch and approached his sister. "Hey, Angie," he said to her. "Where did Dad go?"

Angela shrugged. "He probably ran off to some bar. He and Mom were fighting like hungry dogs earlier."

Curly nodded and looked at me. He did a double-take and stared at me incredulously.

"Curtis?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Hi, Curly." I greeted, holding back a laugh. His expression was that of pure astonishment as he stared. I guess the makeup made me look unrecognizable at first. It was pretty humorous watching him register that it was really me under everything Angie put on my face.

"Wow, you look..." He seemed to be searching for the right word to use. "Nice." He finished lamely.

I grinned and blushed, unable to keep a straight face any longer. "Thanks for the compliment," I replied. "The credit goes to Angela, though. She's the one that made me look like this."

He glanced at Angie, who smiled proudly, and moved his eyes back to me. He sat there and looked at me for what seemed like a full minute, making me figet uncomfortably. Finally, I spoke up.

"Is there a problem?"

He seemed to snap back to reality and shook his head, meeting my eyes. "No, it's just... Well, I was just wondering..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wondering what?"

He cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "Do you want to go to the Winter Formal at school with me tomorrow night?"

My mouth dropped. I couldn't believe it. I was being asked to a dance by a boy. This was the first time anything like this had ever happened to me. I had always thought of boys as friendship material, not potential dates. I couldn't speak. The three of us must have been quite a sight, with me sitting there with my mouth open like a fool, Curly watching me intently, waiting for my answer, and Angela staring at the two of us in awe.

"I... I'll have to think about it." I said finally, stumbling over my words. "I'll let you know."

He nodded, satisfied with my answer, and went back in the house. When he had gone, I turned to Angela, a terrified look on my face.

"Oh my god, what do I do?" I asked her, standing up. She jumped down off the railing.

"Say you'll go with him! I told you this would happen if you started looking more girly!"

I bit my lip. This was all new to me. I didn't know what to say to him. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to experiment with guys a little. It would be trial-and-error. I'd get to experience what it was like to spend time with a boy in a different way than before.

"Okay," I said after a minute. "I need to ask Darry if I can go out tomorrow night, but if he says I can then I'll go to the dance with Curly."

Angela clasped her hands together, apparently delighted that this happened. "I'm so happy for you!" She said excitedly. "I'll admit, when I said that boys will ask you out I wasn't expecting my brother to be part of that, but he's better than no one!"

I laughed. I certainly didn't expect an invitation from her brother, either, but Angela had a point. He was still a boy and would be suitable for my experimenting. We hung out on the porch for a few more minutes until Two-Bit pulled up in his car. I waved goodbye to Angie and went to get in, dreading what they would say about my new look.

**There's chapter one! I've got everything written, so just leave a quick review (please?) and scurry on over to the next chapter! Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2! Happy reading! 3**

I got in the car and squeezed in the back seat next to Johnny and Ponyboy. Two-Bit was driving and Dally was riding shotgun. Immediately, the atmosphere seemed to explode with a combination of curiosity and shock when they got a look at me.

"Are you wearing MAKEUP?" Two-Bit asked, his eyes wide as he drove.

"Darry isn't going to believe this." Ponyboy said in awe.

"What did the Shepard girl DO to you?" Darry questioned, a surprised look on his face.

"You look a lot more... female than you did this morning." Johnny told me hesitantly.

I looked around at them, slightly amused. "A simple 'hello' would have been suitable, too." I said lightly. "But yes, I'm wearing makeup, I know Darry will be surprised, Angela gave me a complete makeover, and you're right, I actually look like a girl. Did I miss anything?"

"Nope, that pretty much covers it." Dally replied, turning back around to face front. Ponyboy, however, didn't agree.

"Actually, I have a few follow-up questions if you don't mind." He said, still staring at me. I held a hand up.

"Hang on, Pony," I said, turning to Dally. "Dally, Tim Shepard said to tell you that you should be ready for a fight after what you did to his car last night."

Dally gave me a thumbs-up without turning around. I shifted my attention back to Ponyboy. "What were you saying?"

"I was going to ask why in the world you let Angela put all that stuff on you!"

"She wanted someone to practice on," I shrugged. "She certainly wasn't going to do it to one of her brothers."

"And you were okay with being her guinea pig?" He asked in disbelief.

"To be honest, I wasn't all that keen on the idea at first," I explained. "But she insisted. It doesn't look that bad, actually. Especially considering the perks it brings." I smiled, replaying the memory of Curly's reaction in my mind.

"What 'perks' are you referring to?" Johnny asked, his eyebrow raised.

The only sound was the motor of the car as I thought about it. Even Dally and Two-Bit had stopped talking, anticipating my answer. I wondered whether or not I should tell them what Curly asked me. I didn't want them to laugh, but at the same time I didn't want to feel like I was hiding something from the gang. Besides, they were bound to find out when I went with Curly to the dance.

"Well, I was waiting on the porch for you to arrive and Curly Shepard came out of the house," I said finally. "He asked me to the Winter Formal tomorrow evening."

A stunned silence followed as they processed what I said. Suddenly, Two-Bit began laughing.

"Good luck with convincing Darry to let you go!" He said between chuckles.

"He's right," Ponyboy said. "Darry isn't going to be crazy about the idea of you going to a dance with a boy. If I were you, I'd break it to him gently.

"C'mon, guys, it's just a dance," I replied indignantly. "It's not like we're renting a motel room together or something."

"A dance is about balanced with renting a room when it comes to Darry," Ponyboy reasoned. "I can tell he'll be pretty overprotective about you going."

I shook my head. "He knows that I wouldn't even come close to doing what other girls my age do with boys behind their parents' backs."

"By all means, ask for permission to go," Ponyboy said. "Maybe you're right and he'll be okay with it. Just don't say you weren't warned if he flat-out refuses like I think he will." Ponyboy leaned back in his seat and dropped the subject. I was still confident that Darry would let me go. The guy could be overprotective, but he wasn't crazy. He must understand that I need to experience these things early on so that I wouldn't be completely confused later. I didn't say anything else, though, because we had just arrived at The Dingo.

"Last stop, everybody out!" Two-Bit shouted. We piled out of the car and went inside, where we found Steve, Soda, and Darry at a table, waiting for us. Shouts could be heard all across the busy restaurant as a fight broke out somewhere. I kept my attention on the other three members of the gang. Their mouths fell open in shock as I went over to sit between Darry and Sodapop. Darry groaned.

"Do I really want to know why you look like that?" He asked. I laughed.

"Angela gave me a makeover." I said for about the third time that day. Soda placed a hand on my chin and tilted my face upwards, examining it in the light.

"You don't look half-bad, kiddo." He told me. I smiled at him. Meanwhile, Steve looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"Thanks for trying, Steve," I said to him. "But it's okay, you can laugh."

He bit his lip and shook his head. "No, I'm... I'm fine," He strained, trying to keep from laughing. After a few moments, he relaxed. "You sure look different, kid."

"Yeah, I know."

Darry grabbed my hand and pulled it up to his eyes. "Wow," he said, looking at my hand. "You even let her do your nails."

"Darry, I think your kid sister is having some kind of mid-life crisis." Steve joked. I reached across Soda and swatted at him. He just laughed.

"No, I'm not having a mid-life crisis," I told him. "Angie just needed someone to practice on, that's all."

Then, a waitress came by and took our food orders. I hadn't even had the chance to look at the menu, so I let Sodapop order for me. The waitress gave us cokes and scribbled on her notepad. When she had left, we resumed the conversation.

"What I want to know," Steve began. "Is what Angela Shepard's brothers thought of your 'new look'."

Everyone looked at me expectantly. I nervously glanced at Ponyboy, who gave me a small nod.

"Well," I began reluctantly. "Tim Shepard nearly busted a gut laughing at me."

"What about Curly?" Soda asked me. I gulped.

"Curly, he... Well, the truth is..." I carefully avoided eye contact with Darry. "He asked me to be his date for the Winter Formal tomorrow."

Darry stared at me, eyes wide.

"He asked you to be his DATE?"

I nodded uneasily, afraid of what Darry would say. His nostrils flared and he pinched his lips together tightly.

"What did you tell him?" He demanded.

"I said that I'd think about it." I mumbled.

"You're actually considering it?" He asked in disbelief. "Since when are you interested in boys?"

I felt my face get warm. "I thought I should, well, experiment a little."

"Well," Darry said, sipping his drink. "There won't be much chance for you to 'experiment', because you're not going."

"What? Why not?" I asked. Despite Ponyboy's warnings, I was still surprised at Darry's answer.

"You're too young to be going on dates."

"Darry!" I groaned. "It's just a dance! It's chaperoned by teachers, you know."

"You're too young," he repeated. "You'll have plenty of time to date when you're older. Right now, you need to focus on your schoolwork."

"I make straight A's already!" I protested.

"I said no, Jayla," he said firmly. "My answer is final."

"Is it because it's Curly Shepard? Because you know I would never do anything with him, right? I'm not stupid."

"Lose the attitude, kid," Darry said angrily. "I said no, so don't argue with me about it."

"That's not fair!"

"Jayla, I don't want to hear another word about the dance or Curly Shepard!"

Our food arrived, and a plate with a cheeseburger and french fries was placed before me. The Dingo makes the best burgers, and normally I would begin eating immediately. This time, though, I just ignored the food and glared at my brother. I usually wasn't one to talk back to him, but I couldn't help it, I was furious. Darry didn't even listen to my reasoning, he just made a decision. It can be so irritating when he switches into "Overly-Protective Big Brother" mode. Sometimes I enjoy feeling like he's watching out for me, but sometimes he drives me nuts with his unreasonable caution. Just like he was doing now.

**Did you enjoy Darry's reaction? Leave a review and keep going to chapter three! I love you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

"If you're not gonna eat, can I have your burger?" Two-Bit asked me with his mouth full. I gave a small nod and he whooped, grabbing the food off my abandoned plate. Sodapop watched me brood for a moment before reluctantly starting on his own lunch. I sat in silence until everyone had finished eating. By the time we got up to leave, my anger had reached a new level and I refused to speak to anyone. When we went out to the vehicles, I didn't get in.

"I'm walking." I announced. It would give me time to cool off and maybe think of a way to bring Darry to his senses. Unfortunately for me, my brother had other ideas.

"No, you're not," Darry replied. "It's way too cold for you to walk home. You shouldn't be walking home alone anyways."

"Yes, I am," I shot back. "I'm wearing a jacket, I'll be fine. No one is going to mess with me."

Darry opened his mouth to protest, but Sodapop cut in. "I'll walk her home." He said quickly.

Darry acted like he was about to say something, but just sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said to Soda. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her." I glowered at him. He got into the car with Steve. The rest of the gang piled into vehicles and everyone drove off, leaving me and my brother alone outside the restaurant.

I started walking ahead with my hands in my pockets, Sodapop running behind me to catch up. I didn't even acknowledge him, that's how angry I was. All I wanted to do was see what it was like to go out with a boy. I didn't understand why Darry couldn't trust me to do even that. I tried to be well-behaved. I did my chores without much complaint and studied hard for all of my tests. I'd never snuck out or did something extreme behind his back. So why wouldn't he let me do something so simple as attend a school dance?

"Jayla, wait up," Soda said from behind me. I kept walking without turning around. He was probably just going to take Darry's side and lecture me on the "danger" of going out with boys.

"Please talk to me," he said. "I'm not going to yell at you."

I stopped walking and waited for him to catch up. When he reached my side, I started walking again, this time at the same pace as him.

"I know you're frustrated, but try looking at it from his point of view." He told me. I stared at him as we walked.

"I don't understand it, Soda," I said. "It's not like I've ever given him a reason not to trust me."

"It's not really a trust issue, per se. He doesn't want you getting hurt."

"What about a school dance could possibly hurt me?"

"Relationships lead to breakups more often than not. You're the baby of the family, it makes sense that he would be a little nervous about the idea of you going on your first date."

"It's not even an actual date," I argued. "Curly Shepard asked me to the dance. That's it. The way Darry reacted, you would think Curly proposed or something."

"I know it's not a date. But it's still you getting together with a boy for more than just goofing around. You've never shown any sign of interest in being in that type of relationship before now. It was kind of a shock."

"Well, I've honestly never thought about until now. No boy has ever shown much interest in me either, at least not in a romance way. Doesn't it make sense that I'd want to see what all the fuss is about?"

"Like Darry said, you'll have plenty of time for that when you get older."

"You just don't understand," I said, exasperated. "I want to do it now, not when I'm older."

Soda tried to reply, but I cut him off. "Just forget it," I said angrily. "You're just going to side with Darry on everything anyway."

We had reached the house, and I stomped inside and into my room, ignoring the gang's attempts at communication with me. I slammed my bedroom door and moved my desk in front of it so that no one could come in. Fuming, I flopped down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. There was a knock on my door, followed by a slightly muffled voice.

"Jayla, open up!" It was Darry, the very last person I wanted to to talk to.

"Go away!" I shouted. I heard him turn the knob and try to push the door open with no luck.

"Open this door NOW!"

I didn't say anything as he continued trying to shove the desk out of the way from the other side. Eventually, there was silence on the other end. He must have given up, or else maybe someone told him to just leave me be. I didn't care, as long as he left me alone. I didn't want to talk to him or anyone else right now.

It just wasn't fair. He wouldn't even let me try to explain to him why I should be allowed to go. It wasn't like I would ever do something innapropriate with Curly. For Pete's sake, I've never done anything with any boy before! Why would I start now just because it was my first time being asked out? I get that Darry just wants to be a good guardian and everything, but I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad would have let me go if they were still alive. Darry was taking it to the extremes.

I lay there quietly for the remainder of the afternoon, thinking about everything. Tears rolled down my face caused by everything, from anger to frustration to sadness to embarrassment. I was angry about Darry's stubbornness, frustrated with his overprotectiveness, sad when I thought of Mom and Dad and what they would do, and embarrassed at the fact that I would have to tell Curly I couldn't go because "my big brother won't let me".

No one disturbed me for the rest of the day. My stomach was growling, but I didn't get up for food. Under no circumstances was I going to take the chance of having to face my brother again. When evening rolled around, I began devising possible solutions to my problem.

It was obvious that Darry wasn't going to listen to logical reasoning, so that idea was useless. I suppose I could get one of the gang to help me argue, but I doubted any of them would agree to it. I could get Curly to come over and try to convince Darry personally, but it would probably just make Darry even angrier with me. That's when I got the idea.

I was going to sneak out.

I've never done anything like that before, so there was no chance anyone would expect it. I could climb out my window and go to Angela's to get ready, then walk with Curly to the dance. When it was over, I'd go home, climb back into the window, and go to bed. The next morning, I'd act like I was asleep all night. No one would suspect a thing if I covered my tracks. The plan was completely foolproof.

**Ah, Jayla isn't as innocent as she makes herself out to be! Is it a good change or bad? Let me know in a quick review! Thanks, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

I fell asleep going over my plan in my head. When I woke up, daylight was streaming through my window and my desk was still in it's place in front of my door. To tell you the truth, I really didn't want to leave my room today either. Darry was undoubtedly furious with me and I was still pretty peeved at him. But I knew that I'd be in even deeper trouble if I left my room barricaded, not to mention that I was getting really hungry having skipped both lunch and dinner the day before.

I moved my desk back over to it's original position and quietly opened the door. The house was silent, so I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom for a shower. I looked positively disasterous. My hair was sticking up in strange angles from where I slept with all that hairspray in it. Dark circles of eye makeup rimmed my eyes, making me look like some kind of human raccoon. After taking off the clothes I had worn the day before, I turned the hot water on full blast and stepped under the steady stream.

The water felt like it was cooking my skin, but I ignored the burning sensation. I shampooed my hair and scrubbed my body, paying special attention to my face. Considering how much makeup I slept in, I was surprised my face didn't resemble a slice of pizza. Thank god I didn't have a bunch of acne.

After standing under the hot water for about ten minutes, I turned it off and got out. I dried off and pulled on my clothes. After doing all the other morning-routine stuff, I left the steamy bathroom.

Darry was waiting for me when I walked in the living room. When he noticed me, he pointed at the couch.

"Sit." He instructed. I obeyed.

"I didn't appreciate your attitude yesterday." He began.

"Well, you weren't exactly making a fair decision, Darry." I responded. He gave me an icy glare.

"That's not the point, and you know it. I'm not going to sit back and let you disrespect me like that."

"Maybe I wouldn't 'disrespect' you if you'd let me have a say in things every once in a while." I said bitterly. I knew I was treading on thin ice talking to him like that, but I didn't care.

"Regardless of whether you agree with my decisions or not," Darry continued. "You still have to listen to them! I'm the adult responsible for you!"

"You are being so unfair! You're not even trying to listen to me!"

"It's my job to decide what's best for you and your brothers, and I say that you're not going to that dance!"

"Fine!" I yelled, throwing up my hands in frustration. "I won't go to the stupid formal, I won't engage in any kind of social activity, I'll focus on my schoolwork, and I'll become a social outcast who spends all her time reading books! Does that sound good to you, or are you just going to tell me what to do my whole life?"

"I said watch the attitude, kid," Darry replied angrily. "Just because you're fourteen doesn't mean you're suddenly too good to follow rules."

"I never said I was too good to follow rules, but doesn't the fact that I'm fourteen mean I should get more freedom?"

"You're dreaming if you think you'll get more freedom if you don't start acting more mature than this!"

"I'm not a child!"

"You're certainly acting like one."

"It's JUST A DANCE!"

"You're only fourteen!"

"I'm the same age as Ponyboy was when he went to this dance last year!"

"Ponyboy never smarted off to me when I said he couldn't do something. Ponyboy never barricaded himself in his room. Ponyboy never acted like a spoiled brat who had to get everything he wanted!"

I felt unshed tears prickle my eyes. That part about me being a spoiled brat really got to me. "Okay, fine," I responded, my bottom lip trembling. I stood up, and the tears spilled over. "You're right. All I ever do is complain that I don't get what I want. I'm unimaginably annoying to everyone who knows me. You, Sodapop, and Ponyboy wish you could just chuck me in an orphanage somewhere. I'm a disappointment to the entire family and a poor excuse for a greaser. You're right, I'm just an ungrateful, spoiled brat. Are you happy now, Darry? I'm finally understanding what you've been trying to say. Maybe you should have just let the state take me when you chance. It would have saved you a lot of hassle."

Without another word, I ran barefoot out the front door. I didn't know where I would go, but I had to get away from my brother, even if it was for just a little while. I ran down the street, ignoring Darry as he called my name from the front porch. I ran until I reached a whole different street all together, at which point I sat down on the curb. Hot tears streaked my cheeks as I sat, trying to get warm. I had left the house with wet hair and no shoes, so I was already shivering. I wasn't about to go back home, though.

My self-esteem was reaching an all-time low at that moment. What I had said was probably true anyways. I was just another mouth to feed. No wonder Darry hates me, I really was a self-absorbed baby. Darry was trying his hardest to raise me right, and all I did was smart off to him and whine when I didn't get my way. It would have been benificial to everyone if Darry had given me to the State after the accident. It was a wonder Mom and Dad put up with me as long as they did.

More thoughts like that ran through my head as I sat pitifully on the curb, all of them bashing my self-esteem and confidence in one way or another. Eventually, I stood up for fear of freezing to the sidewalk and slowly ambled down the street. I didn't know where I was going, only that I had to keep walking. I came to a bench outside a closed shop on the next street, and I sat down. I knew I was practically begging for trouble by wandering around alone, but I didn't really care at that point. I just wanted to sit by myself and think things over.

I was still going to the dance tonight, I knew that. No amount of persuasion could change my mind. If I ended up going home, I'd sneak out as planned. If I didn't, I'd go over to Angela's house and hang out there until it was time to go. I wondered if my brothers were driving around looking for me. I hoped not, because I didn't plan on going home willingly. I was cold sitting outside, but not that cold.

Almost as if they had heard my thoughts, a car horn brought me back to reality. I looked up. Buck Merril's Thunderbird was on the side of the road in front of me with Dallas Winston in the driver's seat. I debated running off right then. so I wouldn't have to go back home.

"Get in, kid." Dally told me. I shook my head, still shivering on the cold metal of the bench.

"No. I'm not going back home."

Dally raised an eyebrow, looking astonishly like Two-Bit. "You want me to call Darry and have him come get you instead?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

I kept eye contact with him, searching for evidence of a bluff. But he stared stonily back at me. I sighed and got up. He had a look of satisfaction as I reluctantly went around to the other side of the car and got in the front seat. I turned away from his gaze and stared out the window, not bothering to buckle my seatbelt. He started to drive.

"Your brothers are really worried about you." He told me.

I scoffed and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm sure they are." I said sarcastically.

"It's true," He replied. "Darry's already called all of the gang, plus the Shepards, trying to figure out where you are. Everyone's out looking for you."

I was silent for a moment. "I don't see why," I said finally. "It ain't like Darry wants me back home anyways."

"Yeah, he told us what you said to him," Dally said lightly. "He's afraid you're going to throw yourself off a roof or something if we don't find you."

He pulled into the parking lot of an old abandoned warehouse and stopped the car. I looked at him quizzically.

"Why'd we stop here?"

"You said you didn't want to go home, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, I'm not taking you home," He pulled the key out of the ignition and faced me. "We can sit here and talk."

I looked at him like he'd sprouted three heads. Just the idea of Dally wanting to have a heart-to-heart was enough to think you were going crazy.

"YOU want to have a talk with ME?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"Uh, okay..." I replied hesitantly. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why did you run off like you did?"

I grimaced. "Because I was upset."

"Like I said before, your brothers are pretty worried."

"Yeah, right. Darry's probably having a field day that he finally got through to me."

"Actually, he feels pretty guilty about it. He told us every word of your little speech."

"Why should he feel guilty? I finally realized the truth, and he didn't even have to say it to me."

"You really think it's true, huh?"

"Of course it is. You know what I said, don't you agree?"

"No. I think you need to stop beating yourself up."

"I'm not beating myself up, I'm..." I scrambled to find the right words. "I'm having an epiphany."

"What you said wasn't true."

"Yeah it was. I just can't believe I didn't realize it sooner."

"You're not a brat like you seem to think."

"Come off it, Dally! Even Darry said I was acting like spoiled brat!"

"He was just mad at the time. He didn't mean what he said. None of what you said is true."

"It's all true!"

He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked straight in my eyes. "No, it's not. You're not a spoiled brat, you don't complain all the time, you're not annoying to everyone you know, you aren't a lousy excuse for a greaser, you're not a disappointment, and I'm absolutely positive that your brothers don't wish that they could send you off to an orphanage!"

I sat, absorbing his words. He took his hands off my shoulders and I looked down, fresh tears welling up in my eyes.

"How would you know they don't wish that?" I asked Dally softly

"It ain't hard to figure out. Ponyboy looked near tears when he found out what happened."

"What about Darry?"

"You know him. He hides his emotions like his life depends on it. But he sure wasn't having a 'field day' after you ran off."

We were both silent for a few moments as I tried to figure out what to say. "It just hurts, you know?" I said finally, looking up at him. "It's like he doesn't trust me. This dance is my first opportunity to actually be with a boy in a way that's more than just friendship. I just want to see what that's like. I've always been the greaser girl who looks and acts like a boy. No one besides you guys ever sees me as more than that."

"He's your older brother, he's not going to want you to do stuff like that until you're over eighteen anyway."

"He hasn't even given me a chance to prove that I can handle it. It's just a dance. I've said it a million times. I'm not going to go out and get drunk or make out with Curly Shepard, I'm just attending a school dance."

"That's another thing. The fact that it's Curly Shepard.

"Curly isn't that bad. He might be a troublemaker, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do anything with him."

Dally laughed. "Kid, if he's anything like his older brother he'll find a way to get you. He'll convince you to do things you never dreamed of with charm that never fails. Trust me, I've seen Tim Shepard do it to plenty of girls at Buck's."

"I can fend for myself, Dal. If Curly Shepard tries anything with me I can just punch him in the face."

"The thing is, I'm not sure you can. From what I've heard from Tim, Curly can hold his own ground. But regardless of whether you can fight him off or not, you still can't go to the dance. Darry isn't changing his mind."

"Yeah, I know." I replied. I wasn't going to tell him about my plan to sneak out. He'd tell one of my brothers and I'd never get to go.

"You feel better now?"

"Whatever." I mumbled. I really didn't, to be honest, but it was pointless trying to explain that to anyone. I'd just steer clear of Darry and try to be as little of a bother as possible.

"Are you ready to go home?

"Yeah, I guess." I still wasn't looking forward to going home, but I couldn't stay outside all day. Especially since I was still lacking shoes and dry hair.

Dally started up the car again and we drove towards my house. I was silent the rest of the way, and Dally didn't object. When we arrived, Dally stayed in the car and watched me walk up to the porch. I heard him drive off as I opened the front door, bracing myself for the explosion.

There was no explosion to be ready for, because as soon as I walked it I found Darry sitting on the couch. He jumped up when he saw me and started to approach me, but I held a hand up to stop him.

"I know what you're going to say," I said before he could speak. "You're mad at me, I shouldn't have run off, and I still can't go to the dance. Don't worry, I'm going to my room."

I stalked off to my bedroom. I shut the door behind me, but I didn't slam it or barricade myself in. Instead, I huddled up on the floor against the wall. I was playing off the defeated act pretty nicely, but I was questioning whether it was really an act. I was going to the dance tonight, but I still couldn't help feeling upset, like something was missing from my "charade". I truly believed that the things I'd said about myself were true, even if Dally insisted they weren't. I'm pretty sure Darry would have agreed with me. Frankly, it was making me downright depressed that my brothers still had to put up with me when I was such a nuisance. Maybe getting all primped up for the dance tonight would lift my spirits.

I came out for lunch a few hours later, and sat down at the table to eat with my brothers. It was just me and Pony since Soda and Darry had already left for work. Ponyboy looked at me nervously, but didn't say anything. I felt lousy, and when we both finished I did the dishes. Then I retreated back to my room without saying a word.

I stayed in my room the rest of the afternoon, only coming out to use the bathroom. No one bothered me, so I spent the afternoon alone. At dinner, I pushed my food around on my plate instead of eating it.

"May I please be excused?" I asked after eating a few bites of food.

"You barely ate anything," Darry observed. "Are you sick?"

I shook my head. "No, just tired. I think I'll turn in early tonight."

Darry studied my face before answering. I glanced at the clock. It was already almost seven, and the formal started at eight-thirty. I would have to hurry if I was going to Angela's first.

"Okay. Yeah, you can be excused." He said finally. I set my filled plate on the counter.

"Good night." I said as I left the room. I went to the bathroom and made a point to dawdle so that it would appear that I was going through my nighttime routine. Then, I went into my room and put on my pajamas. Turning off my light, I crawled into bed and snuggled under my covers

When Darry opened up my door to check on me about ten minutes later, I had my eyes closed and was breathing deeply. He lingered for a minute, watching me "sleep". When he finally closed my door, I cautiously opened my eyes. He had left, and I was alone in the dark room. I got up and tiptoed over to my closet. After rummaging through it, I pulled out the only dress I had: a green gown that came down to my ankles and had spaghetti straps. I had worn it only once to a fancy restaurant my parents took me to when I turned thirteen, before they died. I knew it still fit because I had tried it on earlier that day. I stuffed it into a duffle bag and made my way over to the window.

Opening the window was a challenge because it always made a high-pitched screeching noise when you lifted the lower half. Slowly, I pushed it up. I managed to keep the noise to a minimum, and I carefully swung one leg over the window and hopped down onto the ground in pajamas and flip-flops. I left it open so that I could climb back in later and ran down the sidewalk away from the house.

**And so her adventure begins! Thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5

Adrenaline rushed through me as I ran towards the Shepards. This was the first really bad thing I've ever done, and so far it was going perfectly. When I reached the Shepards' house, I went around to the side of the house and knocked on Angela's bedroom window. She opened it after a few minutes, clad in a bathrobe and hair curlers.

"Jayla!" She exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Darry said I couldn't go to the dance, so I snuck out and came anyway. Could you help me get ready?"

"Yeah, of course!" She said, reaching out a hand. "Climb inside."

With her help, I got myself through the window and in her room. "My dress is in my bag," I explained as I unzipped my duffle. "Could you go tell Curly that I'm here and that I'll go to the dance with him?"

She nodded. "Sure, I'll be right back." She left the room and I stepped into her closet to change in privacy. I put on my dress, shoving my pajamas into the bag, and stepped out just as Angela came back in the room. She squealed as she saw me.

"Oh my god, that dress is so pretty on you!" She said in delight. "Here, I think I've got some shoes that will match it perfectly. Can you fit into a size nine?"

"I'm an eight, but it should be fine," I told her as she dug through her closet. "Hey, aren't you going to the formal too?"

She pulled out a pair of gold heels and handed them to me. "No, it's not really my thing. Do you want me to do your makeup again?"

I nodded and slipped on the heels. They weren't too high, so I could walk fine in them. A little roomy, maybe, but it would be okay for one night.

Angela brought her makeup over to the bed, and we repeated what she did the day before, this time without my protests. Twenty minutes later, my hair was fixed, my makeup was on, and I was ready to go.

"I'll go get Curly." Angela said as we walked out if her riom and into the hallway. She came back a minute later with her brother, who had switched his jeans and leather jacket for nicer pants and a blue button-down. He grinned at me.

"You look better than yesterday, Curtis," he told me. "I'm glad you decided to sneak out and join me."

I gave him a small smile. "Just remember, not one word to any of my brothers."

He winked. "No worries there. You ready to leave?"

"Yep. Let's go!" I turned to Angela. "Thanks again, Angie. I'll swing by afterwards to get my bag from your room." She nodded and smiled at me. Curly and I walked out the front door. Once we were on the sidewalk, he wrapped an arm around my waist and we walked side-by-side in the direction of the high school.

The dance was being held in the gymnasium, and the decorations were very nice. Paper snowflakes hung up in the air alongside streamers. Cardboard cut-outs of snowmen greeted us at the door. Silver glitter covered the tables that were placed against the walls.. There was already a crowd when we arrived, and a Beatles song was playing.

Curly and I went over to the refreshment table and got chocolate cupcakes and fruit punch. I took a bite of mine and chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm. This is a pretty good cupcake, but it doesn't even compare to one of Darry's chocolate cakes." I told Curly. He laughed and took two more, gulping down his punch.

The next song was Elvis Presley's I Can't Help Falling in Love With You, and Curly met my eyes. "You wanna dance?" He asked. I nodded hesitantly and we made our way out on the floor. I didn't want to embarrass myself by not dancing right, but I wasn' t about to be a wallflower all night, either. So I let him take my hand and pull me onto the dance floor. We faced each other and he wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands resting on the small of my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and we swayed to the music, our bodies pressing against each other. I decided then that I enjoyed being with a boy like this. I felt warm and safe as he clutched me to him.

When the song was over, I found myself wishing it wasn't. We went over to a table and sat down. We chatted, watching people move to a faster song. I looked around at the other couples sitting at tables, and gave a small yelp.

Ponyboy was sitting two tables away with a girl.

"What's wrong?" Curly asked, startled at my outburst.

"It's my brother! Over there, sitting at that table!"

He turned around and looked. "What's the big deal?" He asked me.

"I'm not supposed to be here!"

He chuckled. "Ponyboy isn't gonna rat you out."

"Well, I'm not taking that chance," I replied, keeping an eye on my brother. He was still talking to the girl, completely oblivious that I was there. "Let's move over to another table."

As luck would have it, we didn't get the chance to move. Ponyboy glanced up for a second and did a double-take when he saw me. Immediately, he got up and came over, looking absolutely appalled.

"Jayla?" He said accusingly as he arrived at our table.

"Hi, Pony." I said sheepishly.

Curly flashed him a grin. "Hey, Curtis, how's it goin'?"

Ponyboy looked at Curly, then back at me. He took me by my upper arm and pulled me up from my chair. "If you'll excuse us, Curly, I need to have a word with my SISTER."

He grabbed my hand in a death grip and pulled me to the door, not letting go until we were outside. He sat me down on a bench outside the front doors and stood over me, crossing his arms.

"Explain."

I fiddled with my ear, something I do when I'm nervous. "I snuck out my window and came to the dance."

"Darry told you that you couldn't go!"

"I know, but I really wanted to! He wasn't even being fair about it, he just said no and that's it!"

"That doesn't give you an excuse to sneak out and go anways! You've got to go back home."

"No, I'm not going back home yet! I'm having a really great time, Pony! Curly has been great to me!"

"Curly Shepard is not the kind of guy you want to be hanging out with! He's just waiting for the chance to pull you away from the crowd and get some action!"

"He hasn't shown any sign of wanting to do that so far. Can't you let me experience this just one time, Pony?"

He glared at me. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call Darry to come get you right now."

"Because I'd cover for you if you ever tried to sneak out! C'mon, Pony, let me live a little."

He thought for a moment. "Fine," he said finally, uncrossing his arms. "I won't tell him. But only if you say I wasn't involved in this if you get caught."

"Sure."

"I mean it, Jayla," he said, looking me in the eye. "You've got to pretend I didn't see you at all tonight, especially if Darry or Soda finds out you went."

"Okay, okay. You never saw me and I steered clear of you the whole night."

He stared at me, then helped me back up. "Alright. You can go back inside."

We went back in and he left me with Curly. Curly and I danced to a few more songs, this time more confidently. Ponyboy seemed to keep a closer eye on me, but I shook it off. I was having too much of a good time to let something like that bother me.

When the dance ended an hour later, we were swept into the crowd of people rushing to get out of the stuffy gym. Once Curly and I were out in the cool night air, I lost sight of Ponyboy and figured that he had started walking home. Curly pulled me to the side of the building, away from everyone.

"I had a really great time tonight." He said, looking down at me.

"Same here." I agreed.

"You wanna get together again sometime?"

"That sounds great. Just name a time and place."

"Tomorrow night at The Dingo? Maybe around 6:00?"

"I'll try to make it. It depends on whether I can get out of the house or not."

Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed." He said, smiling.

Before I could even prepare myself, he slowly leaned down, his eyes closed. I realized that he was about to kiss me. My heart pounded. I really didn't expect this, but I wasn't about to turn him down. He got closer to me and I could smell the slight tinge of cigarette smoke that gave his body a musky aroma. I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, a hand roughly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me around to face them. I gasped in surprise. I was staring into the shocked face of Sodapop.

"S-Soda? What are you doing here?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I could ask you the same question. I'm picking up Ponyboy. Your turn."

"I'm..." I looked around at Curly, who shrugged. I sighed and looked down. "I'm in big trouble, aren't I?" I finished.

"'Trouble' is probably an understatement if you're talking about what Darry's reaction will be," He said. He took my hand tightly and dragged me away from Curly. "Come on."

I got in the back seat of Darry's truck and sent a death glare at Ponyboy, who gave me a look of innocence from the front seat. Figures. Sodapop probably saw me standing with Curly because I was too stupid to prevent it, not because Ponyboy told on me. Sodapop got in and positioned the rearview mirror where he could look at me.

"Is Darry mad?" I asked timidly.

"No idea," Sodapop replied. "I went to a party with Steve after dinner and just got back to pick Ponyboy up. I'd say he probably will be once he figures out how you spent your night."

I slumped against the back seat and cursed myself mentally. My plan had almost worked. It had been perfect, and then everything screwed up at the very end. I was an idiot for even trying to sneak out in the first place.

Sodapop drove calmly, constrasting to my nerves. I was terrified at what was waiting for me at home. Would Darry yell at me until the cows come home, or would he be so relieved that I was okay that I would be let off the hook? Even as I thought it, I knew the former option was way more probable than the latter.

We got home way faster than I would have liked, and I got out of the car slowly. Sodapop placed a hand on my shoulder and steered me towards the door, Ponyboy following behind us. Soda opened the doir and ushered me in. Immediately, everything turned chaotic.

"JAYLA CURTIS, WHERE IN GOD'S NAME HAVE YOU BEEN?" Darry bellowed when I came through the door. I was too petrified to speak, so I let Sodapop answer for me.

"I found her at the dance with Curly."

Darry's eyes flashed with rage. He turned to Ponyboy. "Did you know she was there?"

I found my voice. "I steered clear of him the whole night. He didn't even see me until Sodapop came back to the truck with me in tow. Ponyboy had nothing to do with it." Even if I got in trouble, I had to keep my promise to Pony.

"Park it," He told me, pointing to the couch. I sat down and he stood over me, his face red. I heard Sodapop and Ponyboy go to their room. "Now, explain to me what was unclear to you when I said you couldn't go that dance."

I swallowed. "I really wanted to go." I said quietly.

"What was that?"

"I said I really wanted to go." I said again, slightly louder. Darry clenched his teeth.

"So after I told you three times that you weren't allowed to go, you still sneak out your window and go anyways? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." I replied simply.

"You got that right," Darry said. He began pacing, ocassionally throwing glares in my direction. "You weren't thinking. I can't believe you would do something like that, Jayla!"

"To be fair, this is my first time sneaking out. I think I could manage not to get caught if I worked at it a bit."

"The first AND LAST time sneaking out! I'm sealing your window shut!"

My mouth dropped. "You can't do that! What about when it's hot and I have to open the window for air?"

"There are ways to get cool without opening the window. I'm going to make sure you never do anything like this again."

"I'm not going to do it again!"

"And how do I know if you're telling the truth, huh?" He said, facing me. "You've completely beyrayed my trust!"

"You're acting more like a dictator than my brother!"

"I'm your legal guardian, I'm SUPPOSED to enforce the rules!"

"Don't you think sealing my window is a little extreme?"

"Not when I'm trying to prevent you from crawling out of it in the middle of the night to meet boys!"

"You're making it sound way worse than it really is. I just went to a dance."

"You deliberately disobeyed me!"

"Yeah, I disobeyed you, but only because you were being completely unreasonable!"

"I'm being unreasonable? I'm trying to get you to focus on your schoolwork instead of pointlessly running around with boys all day!"

"Ponyboy went to this exact same dance LAST YEAR when he was my age! Not to mention the fact that he went TONIGHT and didn't even have to sneak out to do it!"

"Ponyboy is a year older than you, and I'm not worried about him doing things he's not old enough for because I know he won't."

"What makes you think I will?"

"Boys have intentions that they work hard to accomplish, Jayla! I don't want you to end up pregnant or naked in a dumpster somewhere!"

"Darry, I'M FOURTEEN. In less than four years, I'll be moving out of the house. I'll be living on my own. I'll be faced with responsibilities that I never prepared myself for. I'll be expected to get a job and pay bills and fend for myself. I'll be an ADULT in less than four years. So excuse me if I want to have a little fun while I can! And no, I DON'T mean the kind of 'fun' you seem to think Curly wants to have!"

Darry went silent for a moment. "That's still no excuse to do exactly what I told you not to," he said finally. "I want you to go to your room and stay there until I can figure out what your punishment will be."

"Darry!"

"No arguments, Jayla," he said sharply. "Go."

I got up in a huff and went to my room, shutting the door behind me. I put on a pair of pajamas and lay down on my bed on top of the covers. It wasn't fair. Darry doesn't trust me not to go out with guys when I've never done anything to lose his trust. Well, anything before now, anyways.

My door opened, but I didn't even look up. I heard Darry's voice.

"Leave this open until I can get to your window in the morning."

"Whatever." I said flatly. I heard Darry turn off my light and leave the room. I don't know how he expected me to sleep. The hall light that he leaves on all night long was shining brightly, illuminating the majority of my bedroom. Even when I tried to close my eyes, it was just like trying to sleep with a spotlight targeting you. So I rolled over on my side and faced the wall, blinking away angry tears.

I was so stupid for going anyways. All three of my brothers were probably embarrassed to be related to me. The gang was probably ashamed to be asocciated with me. What kind of greaser can't even sneak out without getting caught? If Darry didn't wish I was gone before, he definitely does now. I'm so pathetic.

I heard Darry go to bed not long after that. I assumed Ponyboy and Sodapop were sleeping also, or at least in their room for the night. It was just me, all alone in my state of depression and lack of self-worth. Eventually, I fell asleep, my makeup completely washed away by my tears.

**Aww, she's sad. What do you all think?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, two more chapters after this!**

The next morning, I got up and got dressed just like normal. Only this time, I didn't leave my room. Darry had told me to stay in my room until he could work out a punishment for me, and I wasn't about to defy him again. So I huddled up in my corner, just like yesterday, until he came.

It was around eleven-thirty when he finally came in, according to my clock. He opened the door cautiously and looked around the room until he spotted me.

"You're awake?" He asked with a look of surprise. "Why have you stayed in here all morning?"

"You told me to go to my room until you could figure out a punishment for me." I reminded him.

"Oh, right," he said, looking away from my gaze. "Well, do you want to go for a drive with me?"

"A drive?" I replied skeptically.

"Er, yeah," he said. "I thought we could go to the Dairy Queen for lunch. Just you and me."

I sat in silence. What was he trying to do? Was he really taking me out for lunch, or was he going to just yell at me again? But I WAS getting pretty hungry, considering I'd missed breakfast, and a vanilla ice-cream cone sounded pretty good right now. "Okay," I said finally. "I'll go with you."

He smiled. "Great," he said, apparently relieved. "I'll wait for you in the truck."

He left and I went to brush my teeth. After I finished getting ready, I made my way towards the front door. The entire gang was there, watching television idely. I got many awkward looks when I came in. By the looks of it, they had all heard about what happened the night before. I just avoided their eyes and hurriedly went out the door.

Darry was waiting in the truck, like he said he would be. I got in and fastened my seatbelt. Darry started the car and began driving town the street. I stared out the window in silence. Neither of us said a word until we got there.

"What do you want to eat?" Darry asked me once we had gone in and found a two-seater.

"Can I have a cheeseburger and fries, please? With a Coke." I responded politely.

He nodded. "Sure. I'll be right back."

He went up to the counter and returned a few minutes later with a tray of food, which he sat between us. "Thanks." I said quietly when he handed me my food.

We were both silent for a few minutes as we started eating. After I'd finished about half of my fries, Darry spoke up.

"We need to talk." He said seriously.

I took a bite of my burger. "What about?"

"You know what about."

I put down my burger and looked up at him. His look was more on the "Caring Big Brother" line and not "Stern Parent", so that was a good sign. I sighed. "Are you going to yell at me?"

He blinked. "No, I'm not going to yell at you. But I do think that we need to talk about last night."

"Okay..."

"I've been thinking about what you said last night after you got home," he said. "And you're right."

"I'm... I'm right?" I asked, confused.

"About you being fourteen and old enough to do things."

"Oh," I replied. "Right."

Neither of us knew what to say to the other. Before long, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Darry, I'm really sorry for sneaking out last night and saying all of that mean stuff to you," I blurted out. My eyes welled up with tears. "And I'm also really sorry about acting like a spoiled brat and not doing what I'm told and being such a huge disappointment and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Darry cut me off. "What do you mean a 'spoiled brat' and a 'disappointment'?"

My lip quivered. "Don't you wish you could just hand me over to the state?" I asked softly.

He looked absolutely shocked. "What? No! I would never even THINK of giving you to Social Services!" He rubbed his face with his hand and looked at me, a pained look in his eyes. "I heard what you said yesterday morning, but I thought you were just saying it because you were mad! You really think you're a disappointment?"

"Well, why wouldn't I be? I sneak out and I argue with you and I'm so pathetic I can't even get asked to a dance without being caked in makeup!"

Darry reached out and squeezed my hand comfortingly. "You're NOT pathetic. And even though you argue sometimes and break a few rules doesn't mean you're a disappointment. I'm proud to call you my little sister, and I'm sure Sodapop and Ponyboy would agree!"

"You're proud of me?" I asked, looking into his eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Of course! Jayla, why would you think all of that stuff about yourself?"

"Because you've been really mad at me and I feel really awful about all the stuff I said to you."

"Well, I accept your apology, so don't worry about it, okay?"

I slowly nodded my head. "If your sure..."

"I'm positive. Listen, you finish your lunch and I'll go order us a couple of sundaes. How's that sound?"

"That would be great." I said. He gave me a small smile.

"I'll be right back." He got up and went to order the ice cream while I finished my cheeseburger and fries. When he came back, he was carrying two banana splits. He sat one down in front of me. I put the trash from my meal to the side and dug my spoon into the ice cream. Darry did the same.

"So tell me," Darry said after he had taken a bite. "How DID the dance go last night?"

I smiled at the memory. "It was amazing," I breathed. "I had a wonderful time."

"Did Shepard treat you okay?"

"He was absolutely wonderful," I said earnestly. "He was polite and everything. I really don't think he's as bad as everyone says he is."

"You really like him?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Do you think you'll want to see him again?"

"About that," I said carefully. Darry wasn't mad about last night anymore, but I wasn't sure what he would say when I told him that Curly wanted another date. "He actually asked me if I would meet him at The Dingo tonight so we could hang out again."

Darry's eyes widened, and I almost thought I saw a flicker of amusement. He managed to compose himself before I could pay attention, though. "Do you want to go?" He asked me.

"Could I?"

He hesitated. "I guess so. Just promise that you'll call home if something goes wrong, okay?"

"I promise! Thanks, Darry!"

"Don't mention it. Just be home by eight. It's a school night." He said, grinning. By that time, we were both finished with our desserts. So we threw away our trash and went out to the truck in a much better mood than we had arrived in. Before I could get in the car, however, he pulled me in for a hug.

"I love you, kiddo." He said.

"I love you, too, Darry." I replied, my voice muffled against his chest. He let go of me and we got in the truck and drove home with the radio on.

When I came through the front door of my house, I found Johnny and Steve watching TV. They looked up at me nervously, then relaxed when they saw Darry with his arm around me and smiles on both our faces. I sat down next to Steve while Darry went into the kitchen.

"You and Superman finally made up?" Steve asked. I nodded happily.

"Yep! Plus, I get to go meet up with Curly again tonight."

Steve raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Darry came back from the kitchen along with Soda and Pony, who were goofing around and laughing. Sodapop flashed me a huge grin, which I returned. Everyone's moods had seemed to drastically improve since we were all getting along again.

The afternoon passed without any squabbles from anyone, and around five I started getting ready. I went through my closet, trying to find something to wear. It's not that I don't own feminine clothing. I have plenty of it, I just choose to wear things more tomboy-ish. But I figured that I'd better wear something nice if I wanted to impress Curly, so I put on a short, black leather skirt that went above my knees and a red halter top that exposed most of my lower back. They were really part of the Halloween costume I wore at twelve when Angela and I dressed up as dancers. I paired the outfit with black flats.

I did my best to fix my hair without any hairspray, then looked in the mirror. I looked pretty good, considering I didn't have help this time. The top was pretty low-cut, but it wouldn't hurt to show my feminine side a bit. I was ready to go.

I came out of the bathroom so I could find Darry and tell him I was ready. He was sitting in his recliner, reading the paper. Two-Bit was there, too, drinking beer and watching Mickey Mouse. His eyes grew big when he saw what I was wearing.

"You're going to get mighty cold going out like that." He said, chuckling. Darry gave him a look and then turned to me.

"He's right. Are you going to take a jacket?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'll be fine. I am ready to leave, though."

"Okay, let's go." He said, going over to the front door. I waved goodbye to a still-amused Two-Bit, and we went out to the truck.

**Please review! It would totally make my day!**


	7. Chapter 7

Darry dropped me off at The Dingo at Six o' Clock on the dot. I got out after saying goodbye and made my way inside. It was definitely warmer than the outside, although there was a fistfight between a couple of hoods near the bar. I scanned the room and spotted Curly sitting with a group of boys in the far corner of the room. I walked over.

Curly looked up and smiled widely, patting the empty chair beside him. I sat down and he gave a low whistle.

"Would you look at that outfit! Glad you could make it, Curtis! Hey guys, check out what I've got posession of tonight!"

His friends whooped and I gave Curly a funny look. He was acting... different. The way he was currently eyeing the area below my neck with a kind of hungry look was making me uncomfortable. I tugged at my top.

"Miss, what can I get you to drink?" I looked up at the waitor who had a pencil poised above a notepad.

"I'll have a Pepsi, please." I told him, crossing my arms over my exposed cleavage. Suddenly, it felt like every male in the restaurant was staring at me and my skimpy outfit. The waitor just nodded and walked off, though. I turned back to Curly and he looked me up and down again.

"Did you wear that outfit just for me, babe?" He asked. He made a grab for my chest but I slapped his hand away. He raised up his hands in defense.

"Cool it, chick, I ain't gonna break the merchandise." He said slyly. His friends snickered. Curly picked up a brown bottle that was sitting in front of him and raised it to his lips. After downing about half of it, he lowered it and belched loudly. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I know that the gang (well, mainly Two-Bit) didn't have a problem with burping in front of me, so it should be pretty normal to me. But there was something extremely unappealing about your date doing it.

The waitor brought me my Pepsi and took everyone's food orders. I got the chicken strips along with a side of fries. The waitor scribbled our orders down and walked off. I unwrapped my straw and stuck it down in my drink, taking a sip. Curly watched me.

"Here, have some of this in your Pepsi. It should put you in a better mood." He said, picking up the bottle again. To my shock, he poured the rest if it's contents in my drink and swirled it around with the straw. Suddenly, everything clicked. The stuff in the bottle was beer. My date was drunk.

"I'm NOT drinking that." I told him. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why not? A little beer ain't gonna hurt 'cha," he said. "In fact, it may just add a little fun to your night." He tried to grab me again but I stood up, narrowly dodging his hand.

"Quit it, Shepard," I said angrily. "I didn't say you could touch me."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You didn't SAY that I could touch you?" He turned to his friends. "Hear that, guys? The lady didn't give me permission!" The other boys guffawed as he mocked me. He stood up, swaying slightly, and got close to me, putting his hands on my hips.

"How about you and me go on over to my place?" He slurred. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I'll give you a wild night you'll never forget."

I twisted out of his grip and picked up my spiked Pepsi from the table. I swiftly held it over his head and dumped it's contents all over him. The shocked look in his eyes turned into fury. His friends directed their laughs at him as he stood there, dripping.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that, Curtis." He growled. He took my wrist and dragged me out the door into the cold night. He didn't release his grip until we were standing a good distance away from the front doors.

"What's your problem, Curtis?" He asked angrily.

"I don't appreciate being portrayed as something that's there solely for you to put your hands on, Curly."

"You embarrassed me in front of the whole restaurant!"

My jaw dropped. "I embarrassed YOU?" I asked in disbelief. "You were the one showing me off to your buddies like I was a show dog!"

"You're a girl, you can't go out with someone and NOT expect them to brag to their friends a little."

"News flash, Curly! I'm not an object you can show off. You don't own me!"

"You'd better be more respectful towards me if you want to get something out of tonight!"

I couldn't hold back any longer. "Shut your trap, Shepard! I never said I wanted something out of tonight, and I sure ain't giving you anything!"

He looked at me menacingly. "You've gone too far, Curtis." He said. Before I could react, his fist collided with my left jaw, making me fall to the ground. He stood over me and yanked me to my feet again. I pushed him away. Without another word, I turned around and ran in the opposite direction.

I ran straight to a gas station about half a block down the road. Pushing the glass doors open, I approached the counter clutching my cheek, where the clerk was looking at me in alarm.

"Can I... use... your phone, please?" I panted. "I need to call... my brother..."

The clerk nodded. "Of course," he said, pointing to the back wall of the store. "It's right over there."

I crossed the store and went over to the telephone hanging on the wall. Still breathing hard, I dialed the number for home and held the reciever to my ear.

"Hello?" Sodapop's voice came through the phone.

"Soda, it's me." I said shakily.

"Jayla?" He asked, worry in his voice. "Where are you? Why are you so out of breath?"

"I'm at that gas station you pass just before you get to The Dingo. Can you come get me?"

"Don't move, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Okay, I'll see you soon. 'Bye." I hung up the phone and leaned against the wall, my cheek throbbing. I held back tears and gave a shuddery sigh. I should have known something like this would happen when Dally warned me about Curly. Not that there was any excuse for hitting me, but I really should have seen it coming. I went back up to the counter.

"Where are your restrooms?" I asked. The man pointed at a set of doors next to the counter. I went in the one marked "Women" and looked at myself in the mirror. A nasty purple bruise was beginning to form on my face. I rubbed it tenderly and let a few tears escape. After wiping my eyes, I went back out into the store, where I leaned up against the glass doors to wait for Soda.

He drove up in Darry's truck a few minutes later. I ran out to meet him and got in the front seat. He turned on the overhead light and looked at me.

"Hey, what happened to your face?" He asked.

I scowled. "Everyone was right about Curly."

"Did he hit you?!"

I nodded. "He was drunk. He kept trying to grab me so I poured my drink on him and he took me outside and punched me." Tears rolled down my face

Sodapop pulled me into a hug. "Oh, honey," he soothed, rubbing my back. "Don't cry. It'll be okay. Let's get you home."

He shifted gears and I buckled my seatbelt. Soda glanced at me from time to time as he drove, but I just stared out the window in tears, clutching my throbbing cheek.

When we got home, I got out of the truck and Soda put his arm around my shoulders. He guided me inside. The whole gang was in the living room with the television off. Everyone leaped up when we came through the door.

"What happened?" Darry demanded. I moved my hand away from my cheek, revealing the bruise. His expression softened.

"Baby..." he said sympathetically. Soda let go of me and I went up to Darry, burying myself in his chest. He put his arms around me and held me as I cried. When I finally pulled back, he cupped my face in his hands, examining my cheek.

"I don't think it's broken, just bruised." He observed. I sniffed and turned around to face the gang. Johnny and Ponyboy looked worried, while Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve looked madder than heck. Suddenly, Two-Bit grabbed his jacket and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"I'm going to go punch the little brat's face in," he said angrily. "Teach him not to mess with you again."

"Two-Bit, hang on!" I said. "You can't hit him!"

Steve looked at me incredulously. "What you mean we can't hit him? I swear, kid, sometimes you're way too nice for your own good."

"No, I didn't mean it like that," I said. "I meant, YOU can't hit him. I've got to be the one to take care of it."

Everyone stared at me. As I said it, I knew it was true. I had to be the one to confront Curly. Not the gang, me.

"Look, I can't keep making you guys fight all my battles for me," I told them. "Sooner or later, I'm going to have to punch a kid in the face myself. I might as well start now."

Dally grinned and came over to ruffle my hair. "Look at that," he said proudly. "She's finally starting to grow a spine." I gave him a small smile, and he winked at me. I turned back to the rest of the gang.

"Can you guys come with me back to The Dingo?" I asked. Soda tossed Darry his keys and Two-Bit got his from the coffee table. We all went outside and divided ourselves between Darry and Two-Bit's vehicles. I squeezed in with Dally, Steve, Two-Bit, and Sodapop. We all rode back to the restaurant. When we got there, I saw Curly outside smoking a cigarette. Sodapop nudged me.

"You sure you wanna do this?" He asked. I took a deep breath and opened the car door.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Can you guys stay in the car unless it gets out of hand?"

"No problem," He replied. "I'll let the guys in the other car know." He ran over to Darry's truck and delivered the message, then got back in Two-Bit's car and shut the door.

"Good luck!" Two-Bit called as I started walking towards Curly. I straightened my posture and held my head high. Curly looked up from his cigarette and smirked at me when I got close.

"Did you come back to apologize?" He taunted. I glared at him.

"Actually, I came to get an apology from you, Shepard." I replied boldly.

"An apology for what? I was just trying to give you a good time. But it's appparently nothing you haven't seen before, judging by how eager you were to leave."

I clenched my jaw. "Are you implying that I do things like that with boys regularly?"

"Maybe I am," He responded. "Why don't we go find out if you're experienced or not?"

"I wouldn't do that with you if you were the last disgusting scumbag in Tulsa." I fired back.

He stamped out his cigarette and came closer. "Come on, sweetheart," He crooned. "Don't be like that."

He reached for my butt but missed when I moved away. I heard car doors slamming behind me. I turned to find the whole gang piling out if the car, hovering closely in case they were needed. There was rage on all of their faces from what Curly had just tried to do. I saw Steve and Darry literally restraining Sodapop , who looked like he wanted to come attack Curly himself. I turned back to Curly, who was watching them in amusement.

"Gonna call your brothers over to help you?" He jeered.

"No need, Curly," I replied. "I don't need a group of guys to do my fighting for me."

"Well, that gives me the perfect chance to do THIS." Before I could stop him, he successfully grabbed my rear end. I gasped. I could hear the gang's footsteps behind me as they came over to take control of the situation. Curly smirked again.

"You enjoy that, don't you?" He said, hand still on my backside. I took a deep breath. It was now or never. I reared back and, before he could register what was happening, punched him right in the nose. There was a sickening CRACK and he let go of me and cried out in pain, clutching his face.

"What's wrong, Curly?" I taunted. "Aren't you 'experienced' in girls making you cry?" He turned around and ran the other direction, blood gushing from his nose. The gang came up behind me, cheering. I turned around and smiled proudly.

"Way to go, kid!" Two-Bit said, a gleeful look on his face.

"I don't think Curly's going to want to mess with you again." Ponyboy said.

It was Dally, though, who had the best reaction. Once we got back in the car, he leaned over and fist-bumped me. "I knew you had it in ya," he said, grinning with pride. "Congratulations on winning your first fight."

I laughed. "It's not exactly a 'fight' if the other person runs away crying after the first punch."

"Still, I'm proud of you," he said. "It's about time you stood up for yourself. Besides, I get major bragging rights with Tim Shepard when he hears about this."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dal. I appreciate you saying that." He smiled back at me and threw an arm over my shoulders. I grinned all the way down the road.


	8. Epilogue

EPILOGUE:

Angela Shepard opened the front door to find her brother on the porch. "Curly, what happened to your nose?"

Curly sniffed and then winced. "The Curtis girl isn't as tame as she seems." He muttered. Angela wrinkled her forehead in confusion.

"Jayla did this to you? Why?"

"All I did was cop a feel through her skirt, but she went ballistic!"

Angela narrowed her eyes. "You TOUCHED her? Curly!"

"She started it!" He insisted. "She was getting mouthy with me, so I hit her to make her come to her senses! She ran off and came back with her entire gang in tow and punched me in the face when I grabbed her!"

Angela gave a low growl, which made Curly gulp. He knew that his sister was more than capable of bringing him to his knees when she got angry. But to his surprise, she slammed the front door in his face.

"Angie! Let me in!" He yelled, pounding on the door

"You can sleep outside tonight, Curly Shepard!" She yelled through the locked door. "Maybe that will teach you to show a little respect towards women!"

Curly sighed and looked around for something to sleep on. His nose hurt really bad, and the cold wasn't going to make it any better. He spotted an old tarp on the corner of the porch and crawled beneath it, checking for spiders first. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep. It was going to be a long night.

**This is it! What did you think? I love you all because without viewers this wouldn't exist! Special thanks to Pinksugarrush, my amazing Writer's Consultant and a wonderful person! Check out her stuff, too! 'loud applause'**

**This is my first finished story ever for anything! SO yay me for having the will power! Thanks again everyone! Please review, if you have time! I love you all dearly! 333**


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